Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed and the second most lethal cancer affecting woman in Canada. Once breast cancer cells have spread from the primary site to distant organs, the disease is largely incurable. The skeleton is a common site for breast cancer metastasis. Using a mouse model of breast cancer metastasis to bone, we have identified a protein called CCN3 that is highly expressed in cells capable of metastasizing to bone. We have also demonstrated that CCN3 is expressed in bone metastatic lesions of breast cancer patients, making it a potential target in the management of bone metastatic breast cancer. CCN3 favors the formation of bone destructive metastases through its ability to regulate two major types of cells found in the bone microenvironment. The research described in this proposal will focus on the role of the different domains within CCN3 that promote bone metastasis. In addition, we will determine if CCN3 can be detected in primary breast tumors from patients that have experienced relapse to bone.

This research project is jointly funded with the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation.